fishing light help please

[major]

hi all
was wondering if anyone can reccomend an headlamp for me for fishing over here in iceland.
the winters are very dark and i fish rock marks with no lighting so i would need something thats got a good flood of light and thats bright too also a decent beam when playing fish in the dark and i fish for 8 hrs ish at a time.
any reccomendations welcome and i will sive through them all and then decide.
regards
nick

[jankj]

Tell us a bit more... what is "fish rock marks"??? (I think I understand the "no lighting part"...) Is that going out on rocky places on the shore and fish with a fishing rod?

How far do you need to see? Just in front of you, or do you need to see 20 - 50 - 100 meters away?

I suppose you also need some light to go to your fishing place and back again...

[major]

yes thats right a rock mark is a place i walk too to fish basically im just stood on rocks so i need plenty of light around me so i can see where im putting my feet and fishing gear etc and yes i would also need a good spot because these places i walk too are down some cliffs so it is essential i can see very well while walking there no paths or anything just rugged landscape i'll try and put a pick up to give you some idea then imagine it pitch black

[vtunderground]

I see the problem... that looks pretty difficult to navigate in the dark!

How much are you willing to spend on a headlamp? The new Fenix headlamp (with the diffuser) should work well, especially if you use lithium AA batteries (I expect it gets a little cold there at night). Or, you could wait for the Surefire Saint to be released, but it'll be about US$100 more than the Fenix. There are a lot of other headlamps out there that are very good, but most won't provide the runtime that you're looking for.

[tnuckels]

I find headlamps with diffusers to be most useful as you can change the light pattern from a distance-viewing spot beam to a close-range flood beam with the flip of a finger. All of the following headlamps have this feature, conveniently implemented.

Listed in order of price, which also usually also equates to brightness, runtime, and features:

Rayovac Sportsman Extreme ≈ $20 USD

Petzl Tikka XP ≈ $45 USD (discontinued, but still available)

Remington/Rayovac 4xAA ≈ $50 USD

Petzl Tikka-2 XP ≈ $55 USD (2009 version of discontinued light)

Petzl Myo XP ≈ $90 USD

With 3-4 sets of rechargeable batteries and a charger and you should be set.

Good Luck and Good Fishing!

[major]

the petzl myo xp looks ok but i came across the petzl ULTRA BELT ACCU2(which i really like) only thing was the burn times are terrible really ,so something on this line with good burn times,i think it might be an hard one with that many lumens the burn times will all probably be poor

[major]

Originally Posted by vtunderground

I see the problem... that looks pretty difficult to navigate in the dark!

How much are you willing to spend on a headlamp? The new Fenix headlamp (with the diffuser) should work well, especially if you use lithium AA batteries (I expect it gets a little cold there at night). Or, you could wait for the Surefire Saint to be released, but it'll be about US$100 more than the Fenix. There are a lot of other headlamps out there that are very good, but most won't provide the runtime that you're looking for.

well i was on the lines of up to 200us$ what are the burn times on the fenix on high,i have to have it bright as possible most of the time really for safety reasons i could get a samalite halogen for 200english pounds and that will last 10+ hours on a 6watt bulb plus a 20watt if needed 2in 1 so to speak its just that ive heard so much about the new led headlamps is the way to go etc
its not too bad at night yet but come january febuary time it will probably be minus10 or so in the day, and it is not easy in the day on this fishing mark but it fishes well its lava that im navigating so it nice and sharp when you fall

[tnuckels]

Originally Posted by major

i think it might be an hard one with that many lumens the burn times will all probably be poor

Yes, if you are unable/unwilling to bring extra batteries then it becomes more difficult to find a suitable lamp and you will need to find one with a belt battery pack for larger/more cells or a proprietary rechargeable battery system.

Silva’s L-Series of lights includes two that have belt battery carriers, the LXII and the L1, and also can accept a diffuser (scroll to the bottom of the L-Series page). I think the Silva Alpha series is more than you are planning to spend for the runtime you want.

I’m not positive, but for up to $200 I think you have moved beyond most end user lights but are not up to the level of the really powerful stuff, as this is more lighting than I’ve had a need to investigate closely. Here are some more manufacturers for you to check:

Mila
Mammut
Lupine
Scurion
FoxFury
Stenlight
NiteRider

Again, Good Luck to you!

[hopkins]

Hello major
Perhaps a battery pack that can be placed inside your coat
to stay warm (room temp before leaving home not frozen
in your car)
and perhaps fitting a wool sock over the pack to help
slow heat loss. Wire goes up to the headlamp.

Rechargeable AA batteries taken from the battery charger
just before leaving for fishing will give an extra bit of power.

Running on full for 8 hrs without dimming or needing to
change batteries means for example on the Petzl Myo Xp
that drains on high power 360mA you will need
6 AA cells wired to give 3.6volts output.
It does not have to be pretty, just reliable.

An idea for your harsh climate.

[major]

Has anybody got any views on the Princeton Apex Extreme because the burn times look good on this but i was just wondering how powerful they really are compared to let say my old petzl zoom , would it just blow it away in every aspect. and my mate has got a silva high power 480 ,how would it compare to that also
thanks
nick

[tnuckels]

Each manufacturer, unfortunately, presents their numbers in the “best light, so to speak. This makes it difficult to do a direct “apples to apples” comparison across manufacturers. Unfortunately, no one to date has stepped up on CPF to do comparisons on headlamps, just all manner of handheld lights. Without a single, uniform methodology employed for comparison it is almost meaningless to try and compare manufacturer claims.

Princeton makes an excellent product. Weather it is superior to Petzl or any other manufacturer is difficult to judge, as they each cite figures that are somewhat brand specific. For example, I don’t think Princeton’s figures reflect running at full power. In contrast, at least Petzl tries to specify the battery chemistry used, the temperature at which the test was run, and the amount of light that was produced at a specific distance. It may not be all you hope for, but at least it is more informative.

[bradjackson]

Originally Posted by major

hi all
was wondering if anyone can reccomend an headlamp for me for fishing over here in iceland.
the winters are very dark and i fish rock marks with no lighting so i would need something thats got a good flood of light and thats bright too also a decent beam when playing fish in the dark and i fish for 8 hrs ish at a time.
any reccomendations welcome and i will sive through them all and then decide.
regards
nick

The Magicshine MJ808 may be just what you need.
Its actually a bike light, but the manufacturers have recently developed a headband mount as an extra. This light is very bright, and you can get several hours out of a single charge if you don't run it on the highest setting all the time.

[jankj]

Remember that when it's pitch dark a little light goes further than you think... The exception is that you need something powerful and with good throw to figure out the route over those lava rocks. When stationary you can get by with less light, prolonging run time.


Based on CPF reviews, I would think that the fenix HP10 would fit the bill nicely because you can easily adjust to your preferred level and it is quite powerful at the maximum setting. 3 minutes "turbo boost" should be quite helpful for you looking for a descent down those sharp lava rocks, I think. Apart from fenix HP10 I think it is hard to find powerful headlamps that won't break your bank. You can find several very good headlamps in the not so powerful cathegory (listed above), they do a good job but you will need to supplement with a thrower to find your way among those rocks.

You may also seriously consider a regular flashlight strapped to your head. Much easier to find something powerful at a good price, such as a quark and the nightcore headband. I also ordered this diffuser and it looks promising (fits the quarks and also most fenix lights, including the HP10). Flipping from throwy light to a diffuse area lighting is very handy. I just received this diffuser and headband, so it is a little early to recommend it, but it certainly looks promising...


The quark prism setup also looks very tempting...


Also, you don't want to rely on one single light only. If you choose a nice work headlamp (perhaps not so powerful?) and a regular, powerful throwy flashlight with a headband you have backup and flexibility without breaking the bank (or your back, carrying all this stuff).


But first - you should consider battery options? You definitely want a rechargeable setup. My advise is that you choose between sanoy eneloop (low self discharge nimh at the standard AA size) or li-ion, and choose lights that run on your preferred battery. Search a little bit on CPF to find out which is best for your use.

[pasty steve]

Originally Posted by bradjackson

The Magicshine MJ808 may be just what you need.
Its actually a bike light, but the manufacturers have recently developed a headband mount as an extra. This light is very bright, and you can get several hours out of a single charge if you don't run it on the highest setting all the time.

Hi, can you tell me where I can get the magic shine with the headband???? Very interested!

[hopkins]

pasty steve


Brad Jackson
Magicshine dealer - South Africa
www.magiclight.co.za

[major]

i had a play with the black diamond icon yesterday,and to be honest it was a decent enough light probably powerful enough BUT the actual main beam was very narrow or i would of bought it there and then so something on the same sort of lines as this but with a wider beam,its got the 4 leds for close up work i.e baiting my rigs or tying line or just waiting for a bite just need to find something thats also got a wider beam,and that would be the perfect headlamp for what i need ,, any ideas anyone? thankyou for all the help and advice ive already had
regards
nicks

[major]

just seen the led lenser on you tube and it looks nice is there any pros or cons i should know about this headlamp and is it easy to make a battery pack that i coud put in my pocket

[major]

does the fenicks come with a diffuser or do you buy seperate thanks ,i really like the look of this with the diffuser

[tnuckels]

The DB Icon is rated at 100 lumen and good to 100 meters. Several of the other lights recommended thus far are more powerful, lumen wise at least. As you noted, the Icon’s beam was not so useful because it is too narrow. You may find a more powerful light that shines less far, because its beam is wider and/or has more side-spill, to be more to your liking.

You can go to CPF user Szemhazai’s website and scroll each side of the screen to do side by side comparisons of many headlamps. Scroll about ½ way down to get to the headlamps.

Having used the Icon you can compare it to several of the Petzl and Silva lights. Knowing that you are looking for extra runtime, again I think the Silva LX II (newer brighter version of the LX on Szemhazai’s website) or the L1, both available with an external battery pack, might fit the bill.

[hopkins]

Major
The LED Lenser H7 would be great if
it'd run for 8hrs on high. Not possible with 3 aaa
batteries...

But easy to do with 6 AA batteries in a homemade
pack.

Buy two 3AA battery holders and wire the outputs
in parallel so output voltage remains the same as
3aaa batteries.

Rubber band them to hold together etc. to make
a nice pack to carry in your coat pocket.


Wires go up to the H7's 3aaa holder and just connect
them to the correct contacts. Then the H7's power
control will still work normally.

Probably won't have to change the H7 at all.
Maybe just a little notch in the battery cover to let
the wires in to the 3aaa compartment.

[Linger]

Hopkins, that's a great idea.
major, what had you been using? perhaps your style / habits might point a direction.

My main issue with ALL these lights is that that there is no way to select tint (beam colour). Some advertising may go on about trivial things, but if the beam is green tinged and you hate green tinted led's, it's a miss. There are so many great tints that it is a mistake to settle for one you don't like.
Are you handy with a soldering iron? for ~$40 you could build your own that would be brighter, with more versatility (multi-modes), and a better colour. If at all possible, I highly recommend you consider making your own

Also, consider 4Sevens Prism($20), not a flashlight but a 90 degree angle fitting that will let you put a flashlight on a clip or headband for hands-free operation.

[major]

Originally Posted by Linger

Hopkins, that's a great idea.
major, what had you been using? perhaps your style / habits might point a direction.

My main issue with ALL these lights is that that there is no way to select tint (beam colour). Some advertising may go on about trivial things, but if the beam is green tinged and you hate green tinted led's, it's a miss. There are so many great tints that it is a mistake to settle for one you don't like.
Are you handy with a soldering iron? for ~$40 you could build your own that would be brighter, with more versatility (multi-modes), and a better colour. If at all possible, I highly recommend you consider making your own

Also, consider 4Sevens Prism($20), not a flashlight but a 90 degree angle fitting that will let you put a flashlight on a clip or headband for hands-free operation.

yes im ok with the soldering but i would of thought it would be hard to get the bits here to build my own,,idealy i want a headlamp with a floody beam 40 mtrs top would do it but bright, i dont need to see 100mtrs or so,and something that would run up to 8 hrs any ideas on what to build and how to ?

[major]

Originally Posted by hopkins

Major
The LED Lenser H7 would be great if
it'd run for 8hrs on high. Not possible with 3 aaa
batteries...

But easy to do with 6 AA batteries in a homemade
pack.

Buy two 3AA battery holders and wire the outputs
in parallel so output voltage remains the same as
3aaa batteries.

Rubber band them to hold together etc. to make
a nice pack to carry in your coat pocket.


Wires go up to the H7's 3aaa holder and just connect
them to the correct contacts. Then the H7's power
control will still work normally.

Probably won't have to change the H7 at all.
Maybe just a little notch in the battery cover to let
the wires in to the 3aaa compartment.

sounds like a good idea thanks for that

[major]

Originally Posted by tnuckels

The DB Icon is rated at 100 lumen and good to 100 meters. Several of the other lights recommended thus far are more powerful, lumen wise at least. As you noted, the Icon’s beam was not so useful because it is too narrow. You may find a more powerful light that shines less far, because its beam is wider and/or has more side-spill, to be more to your liking.

You can go to CPF user Szemhazai’s website and scroll each side of the screen to do side by side comparisons of many headlamps. Scroll about ½ way down to get to the headlamps.

Having used the Icon you can compare it to several of the Petzl and Silva lights. Knowing that you are looking for extra runtime, again I think the Silva LX II (newer brighter version of the LX on Szemhazai’s website) or the LX1, both available with an external battery pack, might fit the bill.

my friens has got the sliva478 halogen on szemhazais site and the silva alpha is the one i compared it against think this is the one im looking for just looks ideal for what i want shame about the burn time and cost

[tnuckels]

Major, look at these pictures:

Black Diamond Icon – HIGH
Indoors
Outdoors

Silva L1 – HIGH
Indoors
Outdoors

Silva LX – HIGH
Indoors
Outdoors

You know the Icon.

The current Silva LX II is even brighter than the LX in the pictures.

Both Silvas have an external battery pack for extended runtime, ready to attach.

Both are within your price range.

No modifications necessary. No tape. No rubber bands. No chewing gum to hold it all together.

I like to modify things myself ... but only when there is not a product on the market that matches my needs already.

[major]

thanks the l1 looks good to me only if it had a bit more flood to go with it

[major]

thanks for all the help everyone,i think im going with the led lenser but would of been the fenix had it had a better diffuser,by the way if i was to make my own what led as got a nice floody beam around 150 lumen? and reflector sorry but i just havent got a clue about leds
regards
nick

[major]

Originally Posted by hopkins

Major
The LED Lenser H7 would be great if
it'd run for 8hrs on high. Not possible with 3 aaa
batteries...

But easy to do with 6 AA batteries in a homemade
pack.

Buy two 3AA battery holders and wire the outputs
in parallel so output voltage remains the same as
3aaa batteries.

Rubber band them to hold together etc. to make
a nice pack to carry in your coat pocket.


Wires go up to the H7's 3aaa holder and just connect
them to the correct contacts. Then the H7's power
control will still work normally.

Probably won't have to change the H7 at all.
Maybe just a little notch in the battery cover to let
the wires in to the 3aaa compartment.

ok so im going this way with the led lenser h7
i think i know what to do but to make sure can somebody do us a diagram just to make sure so i dont mess the light up before i even use it (i am useless with these things unless i see piccys
thanks
regards
nick

[Linger]

there's a few good sources,
Shiningbeam occasionally caries emitters and drivers
Dealextreme and Kaidomain are hong kong based sites with free shipping. They carry everything, sometimes the astoundingly low prices are met with poorer quality. Battery packs, battery holders, diy cases, diy lights, cheap headlamps, emitters, drivers, wiring, solder, everything.
But if you're inexperienced you may be best off ordering something pre-made, i'd just like you to think about what makes it work when you get it, what are the different parts, and maybe if you can start working on something yourself.

[major]

thanks for that linger
but im getting the led lenser h7 so all i needed to know was how to wire up two 3aa battery packs to work on this hl instead on using 3aaa batteries it would be 6aa, just wanted to make sure this would be possible so i dont buzz the new hl
regards
nick